1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drag knob for regulating the drag force of a drag mechanism and a fishing reel using the same.
2. Background Art
In general, a fishing reel includes a drag mechanism for braking spool rotation. The drag mechanism is mainly formed by a drag knob and a friction part. The drag knob serves to regulate drag force. The friction part is formed by a plurality of drag washers. Further, the drag knob includes an operating member, a receiver member, and a coil spring. The receiver member is attached to the operating member while being rotatable relatively thereto. The coil spring is disposed between the operating member and the receiver member. In the drag knob, the coil spring accommodated therein extends and contracts when the operating member is rotated. Accordingly, urging force to be applied to the receiver member is changed. When the urging force is changed, pressing force to be applied to the friction part by the receiver member is changed, and thereby, drag force is regulated.
A coil spring in use for such a drag knob as described above is formed by spirally shaping a wire rod with a circular cross-section. Therefore, chances are that the coil spring is curved in its radial direction. To prevent such curving in the radial direction, a drag knob described in Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2012-205517 uses such a coil spring as described in Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2002-39243 and Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. JP-Y-H06-10226, in other words, a coil spring formed by spirally shaping a wire rod with a rectangular cross-section.
A variety of coil springs in use for such drag knob as described above are easily twisted and thus deformed when receiving force in its extended direction in conjunction with the rotation of the operating member. In other words, chances are that such various springs are twisted and deformed when receiving force in its circumferential direction. It should be noted that such torsional deformation remarkably occurs in use of such a coil spring with a rectangular cross-section as described in Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2012-205517.
It is an advantage of the present invention to prevent deformation of a coil spring in a drag knob and a fishing reel.